Having a baby is hard work and any woman who has gone through this life changing experience will agree with this. Giving birth is no joke.
Plus, the 'too posh to push trend' has been fuelled by celebs like Victoria Beckham, who opted for four selective C-sections.
'Over the past few years, the process of labour has been so badly hyped up that women today feel scared to give birth naturally. It's no wonder, that an Epidural (a spinal shot of painkillers) has become a must nowadays,' says celebrity Lamaze consultant Dr Rita Shah.
While it's true that giving birth is tough, but the flip side is getting through labour pain isn't impossible.
Today there are more ways than ever before to manage labour pain and thankfully there are still a few people who are willing to explore these options. The Duchess of Cambridge is one of them.
She is reportedly learning 'hypnobirth'- a selfhypnosis technique that mums-to-be use in order to mentally programme themselves to relax during childbirth.
Kate is due anytime now and she wants to have a normal delivery minus painkillers. For this, she has apparently been reading up on the subject and listening to hypnobirthing CDs.
All in the mind
During pregnancy, women are generally bombarded with too many negative stories about childbirth that they start dreading the experience.
'Women who are pregnant for the first time or those that have previously experienced a miscarriage are more vulnerable to severe anxiety and fear while going through labour. This anxiety doesn't let their mind and body relax and thus accelerates the feelings of fear and pain.
'If a woman continues to be over anxious during her pregnancy, it can also adversely affect the fetus and might complicate the process of childbirth,' explains Dr Pulkit Sharma, consultant psychologist, VIMHANS, Delhi.
In the 1950's obstetrician Grantly Dick Read put together the fear-tension-pain model which explained that if a woman is anxious in labour, it automatically translates into tension and then pain.The inability to manage that pain in labour is what leads to the failure-to-progress which then ends up in a whole cascade of interventions in labour. Agrees child birth educator and COO of Mamma Mia, Fortis Healthcare, Gurgaon, Anika Parashar Puri, 'Unless your body is not relaxed during labour, it will not release 'oxcytocin' - a pain relieving hormone that stimulates the uterus. Without oxytocin you don't get your contractions and then one has to be given pitocin injections to induce labour.'
Wonders of water birth: Baywatch star Pamela Anderson gave birth to both of her sons at home in a birthing pool with the aid of a midwife
It's possible
The best way to deal with the pain and fear associated with childbirth is to prepare one's body and mind for the process.
'A woman's body is designed to give birth but the mind holds her back. With the help of various 'alternative birthing methods' expectant mums can realise their level of power and uncover their potential to deal with labour,' declares Puri.
Along with natural birth, one can also avoid the use of painkillers and other medicines used for inducing labour. Nowadays, many 'anti-natal' classes are offered by various hospitals and wellness centres to help expectant mums prepare.
'It's a matter of learning the right tools, understanding the process of childbirth, becoming aware and then practising together with your support, whether it's your partner, family or even a Doula so that everyone is on the same page,' states Puri.
Popular alternative therapies like hypnotherapy, pre-natal yoga, aromatherapy, reflexology, acupressure, traditional body massages, visualisation method and breathing exercises help make labour painless and post-delivery recovery faster.
'These methods are not an operative option since they can't prevent complications that might occur during labour, however, there is nothing wrong in using them as an alternative technique to supplement mainstream medicine and in order to make childbirth a more comfortable experience,' says Dr Hrishikesh Pai, gynaecologist & infertility expert, Lilavati Hospital Mumbai.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2349087/Ditch-labour-pain-The-Duchess-Cambridge-reportedly-learning-hypnobirth-delivery.html#ixzz2XQkscMYJ
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Plus, the 'too posh to push trend' has been fuelled by celebs like Victoria Beckham, who opted for four selective C-sections.
'Over the past few years, the process of labour has been so badly hyped up that women today feel scared to give birth naturally. It's no wonder, that an Epidural (a spinal shot of painkillers) has become a must nowadays,' says celebrity Lamaze consultant Dr Rita Shah.
While it's true that giving birth is tough, but the flip side is getting through labour pain isn't impossible.
Today there are more ways than ever before to manage labour pain and thankfully there are still a few people who are willing to explore these options. The Duchess of Cambridge is one of them.
She is reportedly learning 'hypnobirth'- a selfhypnosis technique that mums-to-be use in order to mentally programme themselves to relax during childbirth.
Kate is due anytime now and she wants to have a normal delivery minus painkillers. For this, she has apparently been reading up on the subject and listening to hypnobirthing CDs.
All in the mind
During pregnancy, women are generally bombarded with too many negative stories about childbirth that they start dreading the experience.
'Women who are pregnant for the first time or those that have previously experienced a miscarriage are more vulnerable to severe anxiety and fear while going through labour. This anxiety doesn't let their mind and body relax and thus accelerates the feelings of fear and pain.
'If a woman continues to be over anxious during her pregnancy, it can also adversely affect the fetus and might complicate the process of childbirth,' explains Dr Pulkit Sharma, consultant psychologist, VIMHANS, Delhi.
In the 1950's obstetrician Grantly Dick Read put together the fear-tension-pain model which explained that if a woman is anxious in labour, it automatically translates into tension and then pain.The inability to manage that pain in labour is what leads to the failure-to-progress which then ends up in a whole cascade of interventions in labour. Agrees child birth educator and COO of Mamma Mia, Fortis Healthcare, Gurgaon, Anika Parashar Puri, 'Unless your body is not relaxed during labour, it will not release 'oxcytocin' - a pain relieving hormone that stimulates the uterus. Without oxytocin you don't get your contractions and then one has to be given pitocin injections to induce labour.'
Wonders of water birth: Baywatch star Pamela Anderson gave birth to both of her sons at home in a birthing pool with the aid of a midwife
It's possible
The best way to deal with the pain and fear associated with childbirth is to prepare one's body and mind for the process.
'A woman's body is designed to give birth but the mind holds her back. With the help of various 'alternative birthing methods' expectant mums can realise their level of power and uncover their potential to deal with labour,' declares Puri.
Along with natural birth, one can also avoid the use of painkillers and other medicines used for inducing labour. Nowadays, many 'anti-natal' classes are offered by various hospitals and wellness centres to help expectant mums prepare.
'It's a matter of learning the right tools, understanding the process of childbirth, becoming aware and then practising together with your support, whether it's your partner, family or even a Doula so that everyone is on the same page,' states Puri.
Popular alternative therapies like hypnotherapy, pre-natal yoga, aromatherapy, reflexology, acupressure, traditional body massages, visualisation method and breathing exercises help make labour painless and post-delivery recovery faster.
'These methods are not an operative option since they can't prevent complications that might occur during labour, however, there is nothing wrong in using them as an alternative technique to supplement mainstream medicine and in order to make childbirth a more comfortable experience,' says Dr Hrishikesh Pai, gynaecologist & infertility expert, Lilavati Hospital Mumbai.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2349087/Ditch-labour-pain-The-Duchess-Cambridge-reportedly-learning-hypnobirth-delivery.html#ixzz2XQkscMYJ
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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